IL-17C is a secreted homodimer of the IL17 protein family. In vitro it has been shown that IL-17C stimulates the release of TNF-α and IL-β from the monocytic cell line THP-1 (Li et al. (2000) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 97, 773-8). IL-17C can induce the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-23 in peritoneal exudates cells (PECS) and the 3T3 cell line (Yamaguchi et al. (2007) J. Immunol 179, 7128-36).
The role of IL-17C as a proinflammatory cytokine relevant for host defense was postulated in several studies (Chang et al. (2011) Immunity 35, 611-621, Song et al. (2011) Nature Immunology 12, 12, Ramirez-Carrozzi et al. (2011) Nature Immunology 12, 12). Also a potential role in the progression of specific tumours and cancerous tissues was recently shown (Xinyang Song (2014) Immunity 40, 140-152).
Recently in WO 2013/057241 it was experimentally evaluated that inhibition of IL-17C is a promising approach to treat inflammatory disorders. However, respective antibodies used in WO 2013/057241 were surrogate antibodies specific for mouse IL-17C, but were shown not to be reactive to human IL-17C at all. In addition, further antibodies that antagonize IL-17C were already suggested (e.g. in WO 1999/060127), but are either polyclonal sera or surrogate antibodies which specifically bind to mouse IL-17C only.
Accordingly, a need exists to study and identify antibodies that bind to human IL-17C to ameliorate IL-17C related diseases or disorders in human.